La Papessa
by Phoenix Miko
Summary: "Storms are excellent. Especially spring storms. It makes you feel like something is about to begin…" And because they are always reflected in her eyes. SPOILER ALERT! You have been warned!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: ** I own nothing except the plot where Kagome is involved!

* * *

**_Chapter 1_**

Nova gave his cousin a half-hearted glare, "Fel."

The red head clasped her hands together and bowed her head in regret, "I didn't mean to. I still don't have full control over my Arcana."

It was the night of the big party to celebrate the end of the Arcana Duello and Papa's successful recovery. Felicita had been mingling with Nova and Liberta. Pace was stuffing his face at the buffet table in the company of Luca and Debito. Dante was discussing business with Mondo and a few older members of the family. Everything was quite peaceful when Felicita noticed that Jolly was nowhere to be found.

She had remembered Jolly's devotion to curing Papa but now that Papa was out of harm's way, Felicita became curious as to what Jolly was going to do from now on. Letting her curiosity take control, she set out to find Jolly. She found him in his lab and tried to talk to him. However, it seemed as if Jolly saw right through her and immediately had his guard up. He had blocked all her attempts to try and get some answers from him by changing the subject. When she was about to give up and head back to the party, her Arcana activated itself and gave her a glimpse of what was in Jolly's heart.

After that, she did her best to hide her guilt and excused herself and instantly went to find Nova and Liberta.

When she did, Felicita led them out into the garden near the fountain where she told them what happened.

"Well, what did you see?" questioned their blonde friend causing Nova to raise a condescending eyebrow, "Really, Liberta?"

The other boy only shrugged, "What? She already saw it? Might as well."

Nova sighed in defeat and rubbed his temples. Taking that as the 'go' signal, Felicita spoke, "I saw Jolly...with a woman I have never met before."

"A woman?" asked Liberta.

Felicita nodded.

"Can you describe her, ojou?" requested Nova as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I didn't see her face clearly. All I can say is she had long black hair and blue eyes. I heard her mutter something to him and, I'm not sure but it sounded like Mama's native tongue."

Liberta tilted his head, "A Giapponese woman? With Jolly? What were they doing?"

Felicita shrugged, "They were just talking... But..." She trailed off. Even she couldn't believe what she saw.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Fel looked up to see Nova looking at her encouragingly, "Go on, Fel."

She bit her lip, "Jolly was...happy."

Liberta's brows disappeared into his messy bangs before scrunching together, "Uh... Are you sure he wasn't just his usual sadistic self?"

Felicita shook her head, "There's no mistake. He was genuinely smiling at her."

A few moments of silence passed, each of them lost in their own thoughts, when Nova spoke again, "... Perhaps, you saw his wife?"

Ojou raised an eyebrow, "His wife?"

"Luca's mother. However, what happened to her remains a mystery. She disappeared around the time Luca was born," explained her cousin.

Liberta folded his arms behind his head, "Do you think she ran away?"

Nova nodded, "It is a possibility. At that time, Jolly had only just begun experimenting on humans to bind to the Tarocco. Perhaps, she did not approve of it?"

A deep voice caught the three of them off guard, "Isn't it a bit late to be gossiping?"

The three teenagers whirled around to see Dante and Mondo walking calmly towards them. They gulped nervously.

"P-Papa! What are you doing out here? I-Is the party over?" asked Fel, trying to change the subject.

Mondo raised an eyebrow, "It is for the three of you."

Dante crossed his arms, "What's this about Jolly's wife, hm?"

Nova and Liberta winced, knowing they were in deep trouble.

Felicita lowered her head and confessed everything to the two adults. It was futile to hide it now anyway. When she was done, Nova and Liberta stiffly stood beside her, already expecting their punishment.

Dante spoke up, "I see. So you've discovered a few things about Jolly's past."

Mondo smirked knowingly at the tense teens and proclaimed in a booming voice, "The three of you are to return to your rooms immediately and to go to bed early."

Three pairs of eyes blinked, "Eh?"

**_The Next Day…_**

"Um, Luca-nii-chan?"

Luca's hand stilled over the handle of the pan.

_'Nii-chan?'_

No one ever called him that…

Looking down, he saw a pair of orange eyes looking up at him curiously. He blinked dumbly at the child before he looked around at the otherwise empty kitchen before staring back at him. He slowly pointed a finger to himself, "Me?"

The boy nodded, a small smile on his face, "Hai."

Luca blinked owlishly at the smiling child in front of him. Sighing, Luca let a smile of his own spread across his face. The child was just being polite. _'At least he didn't call me an ojii-san,'_ he mused.

Kneeling down to meet the child eye-to-eye, Luca beamed at his guest, "What's your name?"

The moment he asked, he noticed a bright sparkle in the child's eyes. It was as if, the little one was afraid he would reject an audience. Eyes softening, Luca watched in amusement as the boy's expression brightened, "It's Elmo."

* * *

_**A/N: **_I know, I know. I still have to update _"New Life, New Adventure" _including a few other stories but, I couldn't resist! This one has been bugging me ever since I finished watching **La Storia della Arcana Famiglia**.

I just ADORE Jolly!

Anyway, please forgive any mistakes. I swear, I have read this over and over already but, I'm pretty sure that there are still a lot of typos. I'll just fix them later. Hope you enjoyed!

BTW, I wasn't sure if Luca knew about Elmo or not. I can't remember if they've met in the anime, and I haven't played the game so... yeah. I just sort of winged it. Hope it wasn't too awful...

Please Read and Review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the plot where Kagome is involved!

* * *

**_Chapter 2_**

"What brings you here, Elmo? Are you lost? Where are your parents?"

"Um, Luca-nii-cahn is familiar with alchemy, right? You were a student of Jolly."

Luca raised an eyebrow, _'This child knows Jolly? An apprentice, perhaps?'_

Elmo shifted and Luca noticed that he was holding something behind his back. Before he could ask, Elmo spoke again, "I'm not really good at alchemy but," he held out the book and gripped it tightly, "I want to try something for Jolly and I was wondering if you could help me."

The older male blinked dumbly thinking he heard wrong, "Eh?"

Elmo's expression turned hopeless as he lowered the book dejectedly, "I guess it was impossible after all?"

Not liking to discourage children, Luca began waving his hands everywhere trying to form an answer, "Um, you see, Jolly and I… uh, how should I say this…" He cast one glance at the crestfallen child and before he could stop, Luca found himself agreeing to help Elmo.

The smile returned to Elmo's face, "Really? Thank you, Luca-nii-chan!"

Feeling utterly defeated, Luca sighed and nodded. He told Elmo to wait until he finished cooking and promised that he would help him after he was done. Ecstatic, Elmo climbed unto one of the chairs in the kitchen and began his waiting.

* * *

"All right, that's the last of it. Now, we can discuss what you wanted to do." Announced Luca as he dusted off his hands and removed his apron.

Elmo jumped off the table and handed him the book enthusiastically, "This is one of Jolly's simpler and earlier experiments."

Luca knelt down and gently took the book. He had never seen it before, but it was old and worn indicating that it has been around for quite some time. The cover was slightly deteriorating and the pages felt brittle between his fingers. Luca feared that, if they weren't careful, it would crumble at their touch. Slowly, and with Elmo's directions, he opened it to a page containing some sort of summoning circle. The print was small and faded but, readable still. At the edges and corners were Jolly's handwritten notes.

Luca skimmed over them and found something. Meeting Elmo's dark orange eyes, Luca raised an eyebrow, "The Philosopher's Stone?"

The boy grinned and nodded, "Yes. It says here that Jolly researched it before. This is the page where he obtained the spell to summon it."

Luca's eyes narrowed, "Do you know that studying this is taboo?"

Elmo's expression quickly changed, "It is? But…" Disappointed and feeling foolish, Elmo lowered his gaze to the ground thinking that his plans were over before they even began.

Fearing that he had just crushed a child's dreams, Luca hastily skimmed over the book once more. In his rush, a piece of paper fell to the ground. Picking it up, violet eyes carefully read Jolly's handwriting. It was a bunch of notes regarding Jolly's experiment, though for some reason, Luca had a hard time piecing them together. It contained something about a failed performance to which Luca had to raise an eyebrow.

Aside from the fact that he had no idea what exactly failed to perform, he noticed how vague and hasty Jolly's words were on this paper. In all the time he spent learning alchemy under Jolly, he never knew his previous mentor to be so imprecise about facts and records.

Glancing back and forth between the silent, sulking boy, and the piece of paper in his hands, Luca had an idea. If Jolly had failed in this experiment, then, what was the harm in allowing Elmo to try it? They were less likely to succeed anyway. If this experiment fails, Luca can simply tell the boy to try a different approach in impressing Jolly. His mind made up, Luca patted Elmo's head.

"I'm sorry for being so harsh, Elmo. Here, why don't we just try the experiment? I can't guarantee that it will produce promising results but, at least when it doesn't work, we can try other, safer things. How does that sound?"

The effect was instantaneous as Elmo beamed at him and nodded, "Thank you, Luca-nii-chan!"

* * *

True to his word, Luca helped Elmo set up the ritual. He gathered the required items and placed them accordingly around the circle drawn on the floor. The circle, they had copied from Jolly's journal entries. There was a six-pointed star inscribed inside it with other intricate symbols and runes that Elmo could not understand.

By the time they were finished their preparations, it was already nearing luncheon. Elmo handed Luca a piece of parchment, "This is what Jolly used before."

Luca raised an eyebrow, "How do you manage to get your hands on this stuff?"

Elmo laughed slightly, "Jolly lets me read anything and when I find some of his scattered notes, he never seems to mind."

Still a bit concerned, Luca focused on the task at hand. As he read the words, he could feel something foreign rise in his gut.

A wind suddenly picked up in the underground lab, causing loose papers to fly around. As Luca continued, the wind became stronger. Soon, even books began to dance around them. Instinctively, Luca took a firm hold of Elmo's hand when he felt the boy lean against him.

He could faintly hear Elmo's words, suggesting that they stop. He said something about having to clean the mess before Jolly came back or they would be in trouble. But, for the life of him, Luca could not tear himself away from the incantation in his hand.

The drawn symbol on the floor began to glow and the ground under them was suddenly warm. Luca felt Elmo clutch his pants as the boy buried his face against his leg. The wind became wilder as the symbol grew brighter. The strange feeling only grew stronger and Luca felt as if something was calling him, urging him to finish what they started.

However, when he reached the end of the chant, Luca came to his senses. Cursing under his breath, he raised his free hand to protect his eyes against the violent wind swirling around them. Glancing back to the symbol, his eyes widened as it lifted from the floor and moved so that it was facing them.

Luca stared long enough to see a black circle forming at the center before the ferocity of the wind forced him to turn away completely and hug Elmo protectively. The strong wind blocked out any and every sound with its violence and Luca vaguely wondered if they would ever be able to hear properly again.

Then, it exploded.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Please forgive the errors for now. Hope you enjoyed!

Please Read and Review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the part where Kagome is involved!

* * *

**_Chapter 3_**

Jolly stiffened as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Something wasn't right. Suddenly standing, Jolly knocked over his chair and startled the other two occupants in the room.

Mondo raised an eyebrow at his advisor, "What's the matter, Jolly?"

The only reply he got was Jolly's immediate exit from the room.

Exchanging concerned looks with Dante, the both of them followed after their friend.

They noticed that Jolly was headed for his lab and as they drew nearer, they could hear why. At the first clear, crash, Jolly broke out into a run, leaving the others behind.

As soon as his lab was in sight, Jolly was hit with a hauntingly familiar feeling forcing him to stop. He had only felt like this once before.

_'It's impossible...'_

A lot less amused than usual, Jolly walked towards the door of his lab. Reaching for the handle, he all but threw open the door only to be thrown back by an explosion. He did, however, manage to raise his arms to shield his face.

The impact of his back with the stone wall caused the latter to shatter under his weight. Groaning, Jolly gritted his teeth in annoyance. Shaking his head, he stood up and wasted no time in entering his now, destroyed lab. There was smoke everywhere. Scowling at the state of his precious lab, the first thing he did was seek out the culprits. However, the moment the smoke cleared, his blood froze instantly and all thoughts of punishment left him.

There, in the center of the devastation, lay someone he believed to be lost to him forever.

* * *

When Mondo and Dante reached the entrance of the lab, they took note of the dented wall and the shattered door.

Walking towards the room, they immediately spotted Luca and Elmo unconscious. Dante went over and picked up the heavier of the two, leaving Mondo to take the other. Hoisting Luca over his shoulder, he scowled at the blood dripping on the side of his face, as well as the numerous cuts and on his arms and back with some shards of glass still embedded in his skin. Glancing over at Elmo, he was relieved when the small boy was only knocked out. There was still some smoke trapped in the lab but, it wasn't enough to cause any harm.

Looking around, the two of them searched for Jolly.

"Oi! Jolly, where are you?"

"Jolly!"

After a few moments of silence, Mondo and Dante considered going further inside. But as the smoke continued to lessen, they saw what they assumed to be Jolly's figure emerging from the center of the room carrying someone in his arms. As he drew closer, they saw it was a woman.

Impeccably long raven-colored hair trailed behind Jolly as he walked steadily towards them, some of it shielding the woman's face from their view. Pale skin shone unobstructed by anything other than the thin layers of remaining smoke. The soft rise and fall of her chest was the only sign that she was alive.

Dante was about to ask who it was but, the moment his eyes saw the mark on her abdomen, he felt his breath caught. Beside him, Mondo let out a gasp, as he, too, realized who it was.

"Could it be…?"

Felicita, Nova, and Liberta came rushing towards them.

"We heard an explosion! Is everyone all right?" asked the blonde boy. Seeing Luca and Elmo draped over Dante and Papa, he automatically aided Dante by draping Luca's other arm over his shoulder. Nova, on the other hand, took Elmo, with Felicita easing the boy unto his back.

Noticing that neither of the adults moved nor said anything, Nova glanced sideways in the direction they seemed to be gawking at. He saw Jolly standing still, looking back at them with a naked woman in his arms. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Liberta fighting down a strong blush as he stuttered, "O-Oi! C-Come on! Let's go before this place falls on top of us."

When nobody moved, Liberta cursed and stepped on Dante's foot. Hard.

The older man barked in pain, the sound snapping Mondo out of it.

"Felicita, Nova, what are you doing here?"

Fel shook her head and pointed to the exit, "First, we have to get out of here, Papa."

Agreeing with his daughter, Mondo led all of them out of what was left of the Jolly's lab.

* * *

They had placed Luca and Elmo in a spare room, letting Sumire and the maids look after them. After hours of inspection and treatment, Luca's wounds were finally free of any broken glass and the bleeding on his head stopped. Aside from the splitting headaches when they wake up, Sumire assured everyone that the both of them will be just fine.

The mysterious woman, on the other hand, was in Jolly's room. Mondo and Dante had tried talk Jolly into letting Mama examine her but, the alchemist absolutely refused to let anyone but himself enter the room. In the end, they gave in and let him have his way.

Once Mondo was more or less sure that everyone was going to be fine, he began tending to the matter of Jolly's lab. Teams were quickly dispatched to secure and repair the damage. Thankfully, despite the havoc that explosion caused, it did no serious damage to the mansion's foundation. Papa was informed that they would finish repairs in a month.

The end of the day had Mondo in his study, his head resting on his laced fingers. After finalizing reports and signing the necessary documents for the rebuilding of the lab, he had been left to mull over a bigger problem. Well, it wasn't necessarily a problem, more like a concern. Thoughts drifting towards the woman Jolly had in his room, Mondo admittedly felt conflicted about whether to feel happy or feel worried about the alchemist.

Standing up, Papa walked over to stare outside his window and that was how Dante found him.

"Mondo, what are you doing?"

Looking at his bald, friend through his reflection on the glass, Mondo sighed, "Dante, how I miss the days when I'm not blinded by your head." Mondo laughed at the man's flustered sputtering.

Having had his fun, Papa smiled at his friend before his face hardened once more.

"How is Jolly faring?"

Defeated, Dante leaned on the wall beside the door, "He's locked himself up in his room with her."

"I suppose that is expected. He has not seen her in decades."

The bald man grunted and pulled out a cigar, "You sound as if it's a bad thing for her to have come back."

Mondo closed his eyes, "Of course not. She is more than welcome, however, I worry about the effect this will have on Jolly."

Dante snorted, "You would think that he would be more ecstatic at the return of his wife."

There was a sudden thump on the other side of the door. Exchanging looks, Dante opened the door only to have three eavesdroppers falling at his feet.

Mondo raised an eyebrow at the trio, "I would've expected this out of Liberta and Felicita, but not from you, Nova."

The blue-haired boy looked away in shame before glaring at his cousin and the blonde idiot.

"So, what do you have to say for yourselves, hm?" asked Dante as he took a drag from his cigar.

Having the least fear, Felicita looked at her father, "Is it true? That woman was Jolly's wife?"

Deciding that there was no use hiding it now, Mondo nodded, "Yes. Her name is Kagome Higurashi."

* * *

_**A/N: **_A little short, but a chapter nonetheless!

Please forgive the errors. I'll fix them, I promise!

Hope you enjoyed!

**EDITED as of 01/07/16: **I tried to make this a little longer than last time. Hope it's still good.

Please Read and Review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the part where Kagome is involved!

* * *

**_Chapter 4_**

"Thirty-two years ago, when the Arcana Famiglia was first founded, Jolly was researching an artifact that all alchemists are familiar with—the Philosopher's Stone."

At the confused looks of teens, Dante elaborated, "In alchemy, there are three main goals. The first is to transmute any metal or substance into either gold or silver. The second was to find a cure for all illnesses and prolong life indefinitely. The third was to create human life itself. It is said that in order to achieve all these, one must posses the Philosopher's Stone. Not necessarily a stone, some say that it can be a liquid or powder rather than something solid. It's power is indefinite and reaches beyond the boundaries of common knowledge. Or so they say."

Still a little confused, the teens turned back to Papa for him to continue the story.

"When Jolly had given up on creating a Philosopher's Stone on his own, he wondered if an existing one could be summoned. He had locked himself up in his lab for months trying to figure out the correct spells and incantations," Mondo sighed before continuing, "Then, one day, there was an explosion similar to the one just a few hours ago."

Papa paused and closed his eyes, turning back to the view outside his window, "Instead of the infamous relic, Jolly found himself in the presence of Kagome herself."

The trio was shocked beyond words. Liberta's brows furrowed, "How did that happen?"

Nova stared at Papa, "Normally, Jolly's accuracy and precision make no room for errors. Surely, there must be a reason."

Dante took another drag form his cigar, "No one knows why. If Jolly had ever found out the reason, he never thought to inform us. Neither did Kagome."

After a few minutes of silence, Felicita urged her father to continue once more.

"It took a while before she had come to terms with what happened and even longer when she found out that she might never be able to return to her homeland," Mondo smiled slightly, "She had despised Jolly with a passion during her first few months and even more so when he said that he might not be able to bring her back to her old life. After a year, to everyone's surprise, we found out that they had gotten married."

When Mondo suddenly stopped talking, Felicita walked over to him only to see the regret on his face.

"Papa? What's wrong?"

Deciding to take over the story-telling, Dante put out his cigar, catching the attention of the three teens, "It was in that same year, when Mondo began to feel the burden of shouldering the unbound Major Arcana. Jolly had shifted his research to try and find a way to help him which led to the idea of forcibly and artificially binding individuals with great potential to the remaining Tarocco. Kagome had volunteered to be his first test subject. He had been against it at first, but Mondo's condition forced him to push through with it. Kagome was his first success. They had waited to see if there were any side-effects to this method. Finding none, they decided to continue. Kagome had only seen her Tarocco once and, to our knowledge, she never used it. It did not really matter as long as Mondo did not have to shoulder the weight of it. It was not until the birth of Luca did they realize the ill effects of this method."

Liberta gulped, "Don't tell me...?"

Dante regarded him with a solemn nod, "Luca had been born dead."

Felicita gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief.

"It was then that Kagome had unlocked the powers of her Tarocco, before she disappeared and Luca was given life."

Tears streamed down Fel's cheeks. Liberta and Nova closed their eyes and bowed their heads. They couldn't imagine the pain that the couple had gone through.

"That was the only time I have ever seen Jolly lose his composure. I have never seen him like that in all the years we have been friends," remarked Dante, closing his eyes at the memory.

Mondo nodded in agreement, "The loss of his wife dealt him a great deal of suffering. He may not show it, but Felicita's Lovers had confirmed it. Jolly is haunted by the memory of Kagome and now that she is back..."

Crossing his arms, Dante spoke, "I doubt Jolly knows how to face her when she wakes."

Papa sighed, "He never expected that Kagome would return. None of us did."

"I think that was the reason why drowned himself with his devotion to you, Mondo."

At this, the head of the family hummed in thought, "That is possible. At that time, he had his doubts about raising Luca by himself. He believed he was unworthy of being a father to her child, so he entrusted Luca to me."

Sniffling Felicita began tried to wipe away her tears, "I felt something else from Jolly during the night of the party. Something that has been haunting him for a long time."

"Perhaps it was his guilt. He could be blaming himself for what happened to her all those years ago," said Nova with a grim look.

Liberta nodded slowly, "Maybe he regrets letting her bind herself to her Tarocco, but is there really a Tarocco that can bring the dead to life?"

The blue-haired boy turned to Dante, "What was Kagome-san's Tarocco?" He recalled catching a glimpse of what seemed to be a some sort of mark on the woman's stomach.

Dante answered, "La Papessa: The High Priestess. She symbolizes duality and fertility and is one of the most mysterious in the Major Arcana. She has the power to grant wishes in exchange for something of equal value."

* * *

_**A/N: **_A little longer than the rest!

As usual, I'll fix the errors soon so ignore them for now!

Hope you enjoyed!

Please Read and Review!

**EDITED as of 01/07/16: **I'm trying to save the flashbacks later. Hope it's still good.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the part where Kagome is involved!

* * *

**_Chapter 5_**

Nova's eyes widened in understanding, "So that means… If Kagome-san unconsciously used her Tarocco while she was giving birth, it spared her fate of experiencing any physical pain at the cost of her child. Then, when she called upon it once more to bring Luca back to life, the Tarocco took her as compensation?"

The grim expressions on Mondo and Dante's faces confirmed their suspicions. Fel fought back more tears, "How cruel…"

Liberta's fists were clenched tightly at his sides, "Don't joke around…"

Mondo waited a moment before he proceeded, "Initially, we assumed Kagome to be dead. However, when a person dies, their contract with the Tarocco is broken. Should that happen, it will automatically be felt by me. That was not the case with Kagome."

Dante spoke, "For the past twenty years or so, Mondo and I took turns in the search for her."

"That was how I came across your mother, Felicita. I was in the East when I met Sumire," supplied Mondo, his eyes softening as he looked across at his daughter.

"And that was how I found you, Liberta," continued Dante, "Kagome was our original mission but as time passed, any hopes of finding her withered away."

Fel turned her pained eyes to her father, "Papa? Aren't you able to sense the whereabouts of a Tarocco? Shouldn't you have been able to find her?"

Papa closed his eyes again and sighed, "That is also correct, Felicita, however, try as I might, I could not trace the location of the La Papessa. The only thing I could tell was if it still existed and if its host was alive. It was as if it had been cloaked from my sight."

"All this time, Jolly was suffering… Twenty years of believing that it was his fault…" Sniffling, Fel looked back at her father and Dante, "Does Luca know any of this?"

They shook their heads.

"Jolly told us not to say a word of truth to him about his mother. He thinks that incurring his son's hatred for him is the least he could endure after what happened. However," Mondo looked out the window in thought, "Luca is still Kagome's son. It would seem that he inherited his mother's forgiving heart but, Jolly's actions towards him and his friends caused Luca dislike and doubt his father's motives."

Liberta slumped in his seat and ran a hand over his face. He could barely understand the reasoning behind Jolly's actions. He imagined that if it was him, he would not be able to stay away from his son, let alone keep such a big secret from him…yet, he couldn't really blame Jolly. The man spent most of his life thinking that everything was his fault.

Nova rubbed a sobbing Fel's back distractedly as he was lost in his own thoughts.

* * *

Looking over his shoulder and through his window, he noticed the rain clouds looming over Regalo.

_'A spring storm?'_

He glanced back at the woman on his bed, _'How fitting…'_

Jolly leaned back on his chair, taking his cigar from his lips. Twirling it in his fingers, Jolly's mind drifted to a particular memory…

**_Flashback…_**

_"Jolly, close your eyes."_

_Stormy, blue eyes sparkled up at him._

_A slightly younger-looking Jolly raised an eyebrow. He had no shades then._

_Taking a long drag from his cigarette, he asked, "Now why would I do that?"_

_She bit her lip, "I want to… try something. Please?"_

_Staring at his companion, Jolly smirked when the female pouted prettily at him. Giving in, he closed his eyes. His smirk grew when he felt dainty fingers slowly removing he cigarette from his lips. One finger lingered on his bottom lip to keep his mouth slightly open._

_Getting the idea, Jolly lowered his head in search of her lips. Feeling her breath on his face, his hand moved to draw her body closer to his. Her thumb caressed him gently, coaxing him to open his mouth wider. Thrilled at her boldness, he willingly obeyed…_

_Jolly's eyes flew open when something was shoved into his mouth. The shocked expression on his face made the woman burst into laughter._

_Taking it out of his mouth, Jolly stared, confused, at the orange-colored treat before looking back at the giggling female._

_"What are you looking so disappointed for? It's candy!" She laughed again, "Were you expecting something else, Jolly?" Her tone was teasing and her azure eyes danced in triumph._

_Slowly, violet eyes glanced back at the sweet, "Candy?"_

_The female nodded, a big smile on her face, "It's a lollipop. I thought it'd be better than you smoking all the time so I bought you this. But, you looked so surprised!" There was another giggling fit._

_A smirk crept on his face as he put the treat back in his mouth and savored the sweet flavor. Raising a hand to rest at the back of her head, Jolly gently pushed until their foreheads met, "You're right. I was expecting something __**much sweeter **__but…" He watched as her face instantly flushed. Smirking, he dragged his mouth to her ear, letting his breath ghost over her it, "…this will do... For now."_

_Before she could react, he moved away, patting her head, "It's about time I went back to the lab." He sported a seductive smile, "Thank you for the meal."_

_As he began walking away, she shouted at him, cheeks burning red like there was no tomorrow, "Y-You pervert!"_

_He chuckled and waved slightly as he went on his way, "I'll be looking forward to more of your treats, Kagome…"_

**_End of Flashback…_**

He frowned slightly. It has been a long time since he revisited his past.

Glancing back at her, Kagome had not moved an inch. Were it not for the continuous rise and fall of her chest, one would think that she had passed on in her sleep.

Raising a gloved hand, Jolly let his fingers ghost over her pale cheek. In the back of his mind, he feared that if he were to touch her, he would either wake up from another dream or she would shatter at the contact.

Studying her features for the umpteenth time since he set her down on his bed, Jolly noted how she looked exactly like she did twenty years ago only a little paler. There was no mistake. This was… _is _his wife. This was his Kagome…

The only indication that Time had touched her was the abnormal length of her raven tresses.

Jolly's hand was only a hair's breadth away from…

No. That was close enough.

Clenching his fists, Jolly slowly withdrew his hand and stared at the woman through his shades.

He had no right to get any closer...

Running his hand through his hair, Jolly berated himself. What was he even doing here? Why didn't he let Mama and the others tend to Kagome? He just said so himself that he had no right to touch her anymore than he already had, so then why couldn't he bear the thought of letting her out of his sight again? Cold eyes traveled back to the woman asleep before him. It had been years since he had seen her and yet her effect on him was as strong as ever, if not even more so now that he realized that she hadn't died that day.

"J-Jol…ly…"

The thunder cracked.

His eyes widened as he looked at her face. It had been faint, but Jolly heard it as if she had screamed at him.

Kagome began to stir as her eyes fluttered open causing Jolly's breath to hitch. Her eyes were just as he remembered—blue storms and all.

"Kagome..."

* * *

_**A/N: **_Longest chapter so far!

Yes, I know there are a lot of mistakes. Yes, I will fix them some day. Yes, this is the last update of today.

I have to sleep now!

Hope you're enjoying _"L__a Papessa" _so far!

Please, as always, Read and Review!

**EDITED as of 01/07/16: **Hope it's still good.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer:** _I own nothing except the part where Kagome is involved!

* * *

_**Chapter 6**_

It was dark and empty and endless.

Kagome hugged her knees to her chest. She didn't know how long she had been here nor could she remember how she ended up like this in the first place…

She couldn't remember anything, at all. Her mind was as vacant as the void she was trapped in. Still, there were times when she would get blurry flashes of what she assumed was her life before her imprisonment, but she could never hold one to them long enough for her to identify them. They always slipped through her fingers… But these rare occurrences were the only things that gave her hope. Despite her lack of memories, Kagome knew, in her heart, that she had escaped before. That was about the only thing she knew.

Tightening her hold around her legs, Kagome waited for those flickering memories. They were the only things she looked forward to and the only things that kept her sane. There was a time when she tried to force herself to remember her life, but the only reward she ever got was mind-numbing pain that lasted for what seemed like eons. Soon enough, she gave up on trying to recall her memories and simply waited for them to appear on their own.

What was worse was that she would, during her truly desperate moments, hear multiple voices around and inside her. She could never make out what they were saying, but they were persistent, verging on hostile. As the voices grew louder, Kagome felt her chest constrict, making it harder for her to breathe. She would endure until they slowly died down, leaving her alone and tired. If she didn't know any better, Kagome would say that they were trying to tempt her to do something, but she never listened, nor cared enough to understand. She just knew that no good can come of it.

She felt something warm caress her cheek. That was new.

Slowly, as if she was afraid it would disappear, Kagome raised her head and looked around. She found nothing out of the ordinary, but the warmth on the side of her face lingered still. Touching her cheek, Kagome was startled as it pulsed and became hotter.

Panicking, Kagome whipped her head to try and pinpoint the source. Suddenly, a memory of deep, violet eyes flashed in her mind making her heart ache in response. She knew those eyes… The memory grew brighter and hotter, sending searing pains all across her body and back.

Something slipped past her lips in a reverent whisper, but she didn't know what she had said. It was as if her mind was so overpowered by the memory of violet eyes that it did not comprehend anything else…

Then, somebody called her name…

* * *

Jolly held his breath at her stare. Twenty-nine years had come and gone, but she was still a mystery to him. He had watched her ever since he lay her on his bed five hours ago and during that time, he had conjured the possible scenarios when she woke up. His mind raced with the different ways she could react when she saw him.

He had wondered if she would recognize him after all these years. Right after Kagome had disappeared on that day, he had drowned himself in his work. At first, he had tried to bring her back, but he found all his research either gone or tampered with. He had tried to start from scratch, but when Papa's condition took a turn for the worse, Jolly was forced to stop his attempts at bringing her back. Fearing the day when he might be too old to find her, the alchemist went as far as to prolong his life indefinitely, giving him enough time to help Papa and to rescue Kagome. However, it never occurred to him to think about what he should do AFTER he found her...

"Kagome," he said, as if it was the only appropriate thing to say at a time like this. Jolly inwardly berated himself for acting like a child.

He noted how her brows furrowed as her eyes slowly focused on his face.

She blinked lazily before sitting up, the blanket covering her nude form falling to her lap. She let her eyes sweep across the room.

Keeping his gaze locked on her face, Jolly waited for a reaction. When there was none, Jolly straightened and pushed his shades further up his nose. Perhaps, it was too soon for her.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

Kagome met his gaze and tilted her head as if she didn't understand what he was saying. Not three minutes later, her stomach answered for her.

Smiling slightly when she placed a curious hand on her midsection, Jolly made to stand, "I'll send someone here with your food."

Before he could begin to walk, he felt a light tug on his sleeve. His eyes widened when she tugged a little harder. Looking down to meet her confused face, Jolly noted that even she was surprised by her actions. She looked at him like a lost puppy. If not for the circumstances, Jolly would've… Well, he wasn't entirely sure what he would've done. There she was, his wife, naked on his bed asking him to stay. If he had been the same man he was thirty years ago, and if Kagome had not disappeared for so long, he might've teased her and kissed her senseless. Now… Now, he felt as if he should stay away from her. He didn't deserve her affections even if she herself told him otherwise…

A ghost of a smile crept over his face as he gently tried to pry her hand off.

"I shall be back with your food, then."

He didn't know what compelled him to say that. He didn't even know how he knew that that was what she wanted to hear, but it worked. As soon as he said he will return, Kagome let go.

Slowly, he leaned over her and pulled the blanket over her shoulders to preserve her modesty, fighting the sudden urge to nuzzle her neck and kiss her cheek.

When she was somewhat decent, he put his hands inside his pockets on an effort to control himself and headed for the door. He cast her one more glance, meeting her eyes, before he closed the door behind him.

Leaning on the door, Jolly looked up at the ceiling and sighed. What was he doing? He already said that he won't get any closer to her.

It was obvious that Kagome's was still very much lost and confused. She was like a newborn babe. A part of him prayed that it stayed that way, but another part hoped with all his heart that she would remember him soon.

Jolly ran a gloved hand through his hair and down his face, a wry smile on his lips. This woman would be the death of him.

* * *

True to his word, Jolly returned to the room with a tray of food, but he wasn't alone. A woman with long, straight ebony hair followed gracefully behind him. She was a spitting image of a Japanese doll. Her skin was pale, but beautifully so, and her eyes sparkled with motherly widsedom. When she walked into the room, her white silk kimono flowed behind her as if she was floating. She had something in her hands.

A wary look passed Kagome's face when she saw her. The woman gave her a gentle smile to ease her worries.

"Hello, my dear. My name is Sumire." Her voice was soothing, but there was an a small hint of power behind it.

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at Jolly who had set the tray on the nightstand beside the bed.

He nodded to her, "She is the Mama of the Arcana Famiglia, wife of Mondo."

Kagome nodded slowly, but it was clear that she didn't comprehend any of it.

Not minding, Sumire made her way to the side of the bed, sitting down on the chair Jolly was in a while ago. She graced Kagome with another smile and presented to her the object in her hands, "Jolly tells me you are a Giapponese woman. Here," she said, placing the package on the bed next to Kagome.

"It's a kimono. I thought it would suit you."

Jolly watched with interest as Kagome hesitantly unwrapped it. His lips turned up slightly as her eyes went from shocked to pleased.

"Would you like me to help you put it on?" suggested Mama, happy that her gift was well-received.

Kagome nodded happily.

Taking that as his cue to leave, Jolly strode across the room, towards the door, "I shall report to Mondo. I leave her in your care, Mama."

He waited just long enough for Sumire to nod once before he left the two women.

* * *

Mondo sighed for the umpteenth time. He and Dante had just sent Felicita and the boys to bed. It took the whole afternoon to answer their questions and finish telling them Jolly's story. While they knew it would've been better if they heard it from Jolly himself, they knew that the alchemist would do no such thing. Besides, Felicita already saw his heart. There was little use in trying to hide it, especially now that Kagome had returned.

Dante took another drag from his cigar, "How do you suppose he is handling it?"

"I do not have the slightest clue."

"Normally, a man would be ecstatic to be reunited with his long lost wife, but considering what happened, Jolly might try to avoid or push her away," said the bald man, rolling his cigar between his fingers thoughtfully.

Mondo smiled wryly, "Yes, I suppose he would try to do that. However, I doubt Kagome would allow him. If I recall correctly, he tried to ignore her the first time she came to us. Not a year later and they were married."

Dante barked out a laugh causing Papa to join him.

When they had finally sobered, Dante excused himself stating that he was in charge of the night patrol. Mondo nodded and before shifting his attention to some of the papers on his desk. Time to get cracking on today's reports.

Just as he had cleared half of the pile, there was a knock on his door. Giving his permission, he watched as Jolly strode in.

"Ah, Jolly. I was wondering when you would stop by."

The alchemist only gave Mondo his trademark smirk in response.

Mondo put his pen down and stared up at his friend, "How is she?"

Jolly's smirk lessened slightly, "She woke up not two hours ago. Sumire-sama is taking care of her."

Papa nodded in approval, "And does she remember anything?"

"No. She has not spoken nor shown any signs of familiarity with her surroundings. She seems to understand what we're saying, but her responses are still slow. Perhaps, tomorrow she would be able to talk."

The head of the Arcana Famiglia frowned at Jolly's tone, "It's like you're reporting the behaviors of a test subject."

At this, the alchemist stiffened. She had been his test subject. In fact, that was the whole reason for this mess.

Realizing the effects of his words a little too late, Mondo cleared his throat and tried to divert the conversation, "Ahem. Same arrangements as before. She will be placed under your care Jolly. Until she-"

"Perhaps it would be better if she was placed under Mama's care. It would seem that her memory is faulty enough as to make her forget even her earlier life," interrupted Jolly.

This took Mondo by surprise. Jolly never questioned him nor disobeyed him in any way before. This man had always been loyal and devoted to him. To hear him say that he was unwilling to cooperate only proved that Kagome's appearance affected him greatly.

Papa studied the seemingly composed man in front of him. Looking closely, he could see that Jolly was coming undone at the seams. Not really sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, Mondo shook his head, "Sumire is the mother of the Arcana Famiglia. For her to focus on one person is not an option. You may, however, ask for her assistance should you require it."

Jolly's face blanked as he tried to hide his annoyance., "Very well. Good night, Mondo."

When the door shut, Mondo rubbed his temples. Honestly, that man was almost as stubborn as his wife…

* * *

When Jolly returned to the room Kagome was in, he was met with quite a sight.

Kagome stood by the window, looking outside. Her kimono was parted in a way that revealed everything from her neck all the way down to her shoulders, showing a decent, yet classy, amount of cleavage. Blue and silver like her eyes, it was hugged tight around her midsection by a black obi with a silver cord and a white bow before it flared open along her legs giving him a tempting view of her long legs.

Her hair was tied loosely at the base of her neck with an ornate comb of similar colors to help finish off the look.

Slowly, she turned her head to him and smiled. Suddenly, Jolly felt his chest tighten. Stormy blue eyes pierced his violet ones, his shades doing little to shield him from their gaze.

After a few moments of silence, Jolly inwardly shook his head, forcing himself to regain his composure.

"It suits you well, Kagome," he said.

He watched as she tilted her head to the side, her lips parting, "T-Thank… y-you…"

Jolly's eyes widened slightly. She was talking.

He gave her a small smile. Glancing at the nightstand, he noted that the tray was gone.

"Did you eat well?"

Kagome nodded and walked to sit on the bed, "Su-Sumire-sama brought t-the tray wi-with her."

He frowned as she tried to speak more. It was obvious that she was pushing herself.

"Don't speak yet. Given your situation, you should try to take things in slowly."

Kagome beamed up at him, "N-No. I'm a-all right. T-thank you."

There was another pregnant pause. Jolly readjusted his shades as his hand hovered on the door knob, "I suggest you get some more rest. Good night, Kagome."

"W-Wait!"

Looking back at her, Jolly raised an eyebrow, "Did you need something?"

Kagome blushed catching the alchemist off guard once more. She fidgeted for a few seconds before meeting his eyes again, "Y-You keep calling me by my n-name… but I don't know who y-you are…?"

It was as if someone stabbed his heart. Tightening his hold on the doorknob, he strengthened his resolve and forced a smirk on his lips.

"There is no need to trouble yourself with that information. Good night, Kagome."

With that, Jolly closed the door behind him, leaving a crestfallen female behind.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ There! An update! Probably not the story where you expected it the most, but an update nonetheless. ^-^

School's starting soon, so it may be a while more before the next installment. ^^;;; My sincerest apologies!

Please ignore the errors for now! I will fix them soon. ;v; Oh and I've somewhat fixed the chapters prior to this one-Chapters 4 and 5 have the most changes if I recall correctly.

As always, please read and review! ^-^


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